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Based on the data of three national surveys, 1984-85 Pakistan
Contraceptive Prevalence Survey (PCPS), 1990-91 Pakistan Demographic and
Health Survey (PDHS), and 1994-95 Pakistan Contraceptive Prevalence
Survey (PCPS), the hypothesis of shy/silent users is tested. These
surveys were undertaken with the collaboration of the Westing House,
IRD/Macro International and Local Office in Islamabad of the Population
Council, New York respectively. The concept of shy/silent users is
defined as those respondents who, at the time of interview, did not
divulge that they were users of contraceptive methods or traditional
ways of preventing conception or birth due to cultural reasons. All
three surveys show substantial numbers of shy/silent users. If these
numbers are included, the Current Prevalence Rate (CPR) of each survey
rises significantly. But the CPR inspite of including shy users, is
still far lower than most developing and neighbouring
countries.

The enumeration conducted for the purposes of the Second
Population Census of Pakistan, 1961 was carried out, with some minor
exceptions', between January 12,1961 and January 31,1961. An earlier
housing census provi¬ded a frame for the population census. The housing
census was carried out, depending on the area of the country, some two
or three months before the population census. This note is concerned
solely with the observations made during the field enumeration conducted
for the purposes of the popula¬tion census. It discusses no aspects of
the housing census unless immediately relevant to the observations
carried out. It is further limited in as much as it discusses
practically no aspects of pre-enumeration preparations including
problems of questionnaire design, and not at all the question of
analysis of results. The taking of a decennial population census is a
big event in the life of a nation under any circumstances. It is
particularly important when it is a second census, which, apart from the
interest, in its own findings, will also enhance the value of the first
census due to the inter-censal comparisons which can be made.
Furthermore, it is of outstanding importance in the circumstances of an
economy with sights fixed far and high on the horizon of better future,
but the hopes of which can be fulfilled or broken by the size of this
one variable: population growth. Its results are likely to provide the
main source of information for demographic research in the next decade.
It was not possible to consult with the census authorities on the
carrying out of an independent post-enumeration check2. In the
circumstances the some¬what unusual alternative of observing the
enumeration by the two of us was decided upon.

Mortality in a population is measured by a number of
demographic indices such as the crude death rate, the infant mortality
rate, the age-specific death rate or the standardised death rate. Still
another more comprehensive method of portraying mortality conditions in
a population is by means of a life table. A life table as compared to
other mortality indices serves many useful purposes. For measuring
longevity of life, projecting current population into the future or
estimating incidence of widowhood and orphanhood, a life table is
essential. For comparison of expectation of life (or average duration of
life) at birth and after birth for various ages of different populations
the life table is also commonly used. Besides its utility in demographic
problems, still another important use of a life table is made by
actuaries in life insurance. The life table is also becoming an
important tool of investigation for problems of commerce and industry as
it enables one to describe the expectation of life of many nonhuman
populations. For detailed discussion of various kinds of life tables and
their uses, the reader is advised to refer to any one of many standard
reference works [6, Chapters 12 and 13].

The emergence of stable and quasi-stable population theory has
been one of the most interesting developments of demographic theory in
the recent past. Zelnik and Rahman Khan writing in the Spring 1965 issue
of this Review have applied this methodology to Pakistani data with
rather interesting resultsJ. The purpose of this present note is
two-fold. First, is to discuss the assumptions and procedures of the
Zelnik-Rahman Khan use of the quasi-stable model. In other words,
accepting the validity of the model and also its applicability to
Pakistan, have the authors made good use of it? Second, and more
basically, is the quasistable methodology in fact relevant for Pakistan,
given the data available? Let us begin with a brief review of the stable
and quasi-stable population models as they have developed in the last
ten years.